Sunday, August 28, 2011

Lifetime appointment starting at $250,000: a fine reward

"By releasing the numbers on a Friday in late August, James chose one of the very best times of the year from the perspective of government communications staff...

"James did the B.C. Liberal government a second favour with his suggested wording of the question: "Are you in favour of extinguishing the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) and reinstating the PST (Provincial Sales Tax) in conjunction with the GST Goods and Services Tax? Yes/No.”

"Asking people who hated the tax to vote "yes" served to confuse the issue."

This was not the first or last time that James stood accused of serving BC Liberal Party objectives. After signatures on the anti-HST petition were verified in August 2010, Elections BC did not refer the petition to the Legislative committee as required by law. Craig James decided to stall the referral until court challenges were complete. According to David Schreck, writing in The Tyee:

"Section 10 of the act states that if the petitioner obtains the required signatures and satisfied the reporting requirements to Election BC, then "... the chief electoral officer must send a copy of the petition and draft Bill to the select standing committee.

"It doesn't say the chief electoral officer must send a copy of the petition and draft Bill to the committee when he gets good and ready.

"...Thanks to the outrageous decision of the temporary chief electoral officer, who was appointed by the government without all party agreement, thousands of British Columbians may question whether the government and its business allies unduly influenced Elections BC.

"Whether it did or not, the damage is done. Craig James is respected by both sides in the legislature, but he comes to the position of chief electoral officer after decades as a legislative clerk. Legislative clerks come from a culture where the government is always right; it always gets its way."

In July, James was criticized for delays and indulgent treatment of a Liberal MLA and former Cabinet Minister who violated the Election Act during campaigning in the 2009 provincial election. More than two years after the vote, Elections BC asked the Supreme Court not to remove BC Liberal MLA Kash Heed from his seat in the legislature over spending and reporting offenses.

Harry Neufeld served without controversy as Chief Electoral Officer from 2002 until June 2010. Despite knowing the date Neufeld's term expired, the Government delayed establishment of a Special Committee to Appoint a Chief Electoral Officer. That led to Liberals assigning, without consultation, Craig James as interim chief. He had been clerk of committees at the legislature for more than 20 years.

"James fired the deputy Chief Electoral Officer Linda Johnston, claiming he was reorganizing the non-partisan office to be more efficient.

"Critics speculated the real reason for the firing had to do with Ms. Johnson’s ruling preventing the government from advertising against the anti-hst campaign. To critics, the firing looked suspiciously like government ordered payback."

"...in 10 years in the Press Gallery I never saw a hint of partisanship or sneakiness or anything but quality public service. The New Democrats have stated they have “enormous respect” for James.

"But the Liberals put him in this mess and created the perception of possible political interference. And it was unnecessary.

"The critical qualities in a chief electoral officer are competence, non-partisanship and absolute independence. Otherwise, the risks of real and perceived election-rigging undermine democracy..."

This week, we appear to have indisputable evidence that Elections BC was inappropriately communicating with the Government during the lengthy HST referendum count. Contrary to public statements, it is revealed that Liberals knew the vote results long before they were announced on August 26.

"But the Liberals flexed their majority to approve the promotion of clerk of committees Craig James to the top post. James is also acting chief electoral officer, in charge of administering the referendum on the harmonized sales tax.

"The clerk, who essentially acts as the chief executive officer of the legislature, oversees its rules and procedures and guides the Speaker in deciding all manner of issues. It is a lifetime appointment, with a salary of $250,000 a year.

"James was installed Thursday by a standing vote that split along party lines.

"The legislature is now in the unprecedented position of having a clerk who does not enjoy the full confidence of the house — the first time in at least 60 years such a situation has occurred.

Since Harry Neufeld's term ended, Elections BC has been in the midst of controversy, criticized often for carelessness in protecting its non-partisan reputation. Repeating Paul Willcocks, the risks of real and perceived election-rigging undermine democracy. Willcocks also made this observation:

"The legislative guarantees of independence and non-partisanship have been subverted, no matter who is in the job. There was no reason for the Liberals to create this problem."

All but the scarred partisans of the BC Liberal Party must be wondering how this Government has managed to go so wrong in so many places.

5 comments:

The Campbell/Clark and the BC Liberal Party, has been the worst politicians ever heard of in this country. They have been a litany of, lies, deceit, corruption, dirty tactics and absolutely will, cheat to win.

We all know exactly why, Campbell got rid of the two most honest members of Elections BC. We lived through those dirty tactics, remember?

Hopefully, the next party will purge out the nest of vipers, in our province, Craig James for sure. He is a snake, despised by all of us.

We won't forget about Harper, rewarding the most evil, despised, corrupt thief, Campbell either. What in the hell do we have running this country? He supported Campbell's lies and corruption, he even participated with that monster, Campbell.

Excellent piece of journalism Norm, pulling together the pieces of the puzzle into a small jewel of a report, bared for all to see and understand.

This is one important expose on just how BC has stolen our democracy and our assets right out from under our noses, with the generous help of their friends - the media.

What you have done Norm, is what the media won't do. BC media won't go after the government on this egregious act (or any other) in any concerted or sustained way.

Compare the tidbits of truth emanating occasionally from the media, which you had to sift through with a fine-tooth comb to assemble and reveal as a whole piece, to your forthright, fulsome yet concise statement of condemnation.

Where is the sustained investigative pressure from the media editors and publishers? No where. They hide behind their occasional tepid reports masquerading as real journalism. Why couldn't they have at least strung together their peers' occasional reports, as you just did?

They know how. They went whole-hog after Glenn Clark because of some piddly back deck and a hunting knife. Surely the BC media could manage to go after the rape and pillage of BC that is well underway right now? Couldn't they???

Thanks. Caring citizens, including Canadian Canary, will keep asking tough questions, not only of Liberals but also the alternatives.

Dix, Farnworth, Horgan and their colleagues look attractive in comparison to the sad lot following Christy Clark but, in the Internet world, citizen journalists will keep their feet to the fire. The only way now for politicians to protect their reputations will be maintaining scrupulous and ethical behavior.

Differences in policies and principles will always be with us and that is positive but openness, accountability, honesty and ethical behavior are requirements of all sides of any system of governance.

thanks Norm for reporting on this. The actions of Craig James while acting as the "independent" chief electoral officer was one of the biggest (and most overlooked) news stories of the past two years.

It was also shocking that he sent letters threatening prosecution and jail to seniors who had inadvertently signed the HST petition twice (a complete overreaction but a chilling reminder of the state's power to threaten and silence citizens).

And it was citizen bloggers, like you, who understood the implications of his actions and brought them out into the open.

It doesn't matter how corrupt the BC Liberals are. Nothing stops their disgusting behavior. They out and out blatantly lie. They are an embarrassment to this province.

Then, we get Harper who rewarded the worst, most corrupt and despised politician, with the most foul political record, ever in Canadian history, the High Commissioners appointment to England. Harper has embarrassed Canadians on many occasions. Now he is linking Canada up with the U.S. We will no longer be a sovereign country.

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